First Drive: 2015 Ford Fiesta 1.0

TORONTO — The thriftiest gasoline-powered car on the market — the three-cylinder Ford Fiesta — received a number of visual and equipment updates for the 2014 model year.

At the end of July the 2015 model will be at your local Ford store unchanged, with the exception of a small price reduction and some extra features.

A quick review is in order. The Fiesta is the smallest Ford. The European-developed sub-compact is available in four-door sedan or five-door hatchback styles in S, SE and Titanium trim levels spanning the $15,000-$20,000 price range.

The S and Titanium versions have a 120-horsepower, 1.6-litre, four-cylinder engine and the SE gets a turbocharged, 1.0-litre, 123-horsepower three-cylinder.

A $25,000 ST version is also available in hatchback form only, with a turbocharged version of the 1.6-litre four producing 197 horsepower.

Ford, like GM and Chrysler, badly needs to sell more of small thrifty cars to meet federal fuel economy regulations which require the entire corporate fleet to meet a set average.

As the domestic manufacturers sell so many full-sized pickups, the little fuel-sippers help bring the average down.

As a result, the B-Class as it is known in Europe, has become a new hot spot with the Fiesta, Chevy Sonic and Fiat 500 doing battle with vehicles like the Honda Fit, Hyundai /Kia twins Accent and Rio, Mazda2, Nissan Versa and Toyota Yaris

The Fiesta is the thriftiest of the lot. In three-cylinder SE trim it is rated at 4.3 litres/100 km on the highway and 6.2 in the city making it the stingiest non-hybrid on the market.

And at $16,000 — whether sedan or hatchback — it costs many thousands less than any hybrid.

And it is a whole lot more fun to drive than any hybrid!

I have driven the Fiesta 1.0 in California, here at home, and most recently in the environs of Toronto. It never fails to amaze for its sprightly nature and the fact the little engine does not realize it is so small. This is a remarkable little power plant. I joined my fellow jurors on the International Engine of the Year panel in making it the engine of the year.

Forget any conceptions you have about three-cylinder cars left over from such dismal efforts as the Suzuki Swift and Chevy Metro.

Standards, expectations and technology have made huge strides since then. The imbalance inherent in a three-cylinder engine has been eliminated not by a counter-rotating balance shaft, but rather a clever combination of counter-weights on the flywheel and unique engine mounts.

While they were at it, the European development team came up with an innovative oil-dipped timing belt designed to last the life of the engine — 10 years or 240,000 km!

The 1.0-litre engine is a showcase of innovation and technical prowess and the subject of 125 patents.

It weighs a mere 98 pounds fully dressed, has four valves per cylinder, direct injection and variable valve timing on both intake and exhaust valves.

The turbo is bolted directly to the cylinder head. The result is 123 horsepower and 148 lb-ft of torque. That same output per litre is equivalent to 246 horsepower and 296 lb-ft from a 2.0-litre engine or 615 horses and 740 lb-ft a five-litre V8!

There is even an over-boost function which boosts output from 125 lb-ft of torque to 143 for 15 seconds under full throttle.

While the SE with the 1.0 engine carries a $1,300 premium, it offers the same power as the standard four-cylinder, with lighter weight, 25 per cent fewer parts and improved fuel economy.

From behind the wheel you are hard pressed to tell it is anything but a modern four whether by its sound or behaviour.

Initially, the 1.0 will be available only in SE trim paired with a five-speed manual transmission. Ford says 20 per cent of Fiesta buyers opt for this gearbox.

While that may seem a gear or two short of the current batch of manuals, the wide torque band of the 1.0 thanks to the turbo, allows it to pull impressively from about 2,000 rpm with a pleasant growl. Ninety per cent of torque is available from 1,350 rpm

On the road, the Fiesta is a treat with sharp reflexes, great steering and a ride that defies its light weight. Part of that prowess can be attributed to a torque vectoring system that all but eliminates torque steer.

Developed for high-performance, front-drive Fords sold in Europe, it is standard on all Fiestas in North America.

As mentioned, the 2014 model came in for a number of updates which are carried over to the 2015 version. Those include a new grill with five chrome bars and a chrome surround that reflects the new face of Ford that first appeared on the 2013 Fusion.

Inside there is a new steering wheel, seats, instrument cluster, upgraded material and storage and new two-tone colours.

The MyKey system is standard, allowing mom or dad to set speed and audio volume limits and ensure the audio system remains muted until all occupants are belted in.

The Fiesta is available in a variety of bright colours and a number of custom dealer-applied graphics and wraps so it can be individualized.